Photos: 2012 - A year of transition

31 Dec 2012

New leaders, the Bo Xilai scandal, territorial disputes and protests - 2012 was packed with incidents in China. A once-in-a-decade leadership transition saw Xi Jinping anointed China's most powerful man. The downfall of Bo was the biggest scandal, along with that of his wife, Gu Kailai, who was jailed for her part in the murder of a British businessman. Hong Kong had its own far more modest scandal, involving illegal structures. Leung Chun-ying was elected chief executive after the discovery of an illegal basement under the home of his rival, Henry Tang Ying-yen - only to find himself mired in similar trouble later. It was also a year that saw major protests against the national education curriculum, and a ferry tragedy that cost 39 lives. Photos: K.Y. Cheng, Felix Wong, Sam Tsang, Reuters, AFP, EPA, Xinhua, AP

Members of the new Politburo Standing Committee line up in Beijing in November, with Vice-President Xi Jinping taking over from outgoing President Hu Jintao as party chief. Xi will become president in March.